Download Earth, Moon, and Sun Study Guide (Test Date: )

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Earth, Moon, and Sun Study Guide
(Test Date: ____________________)
Essential Question #1: How are the Earth, Moon, and Sun alike
and how are they different?
1.
List the Earth, Moon, and Sun, in order from LARGEST to
SMALLEST
SUN, EARTH, MOON
2.
The Sun is a (circle one): planet, star, satellite
3.
The Moon is a (circle one): planet, star, satellite
4.
The Earth is a (circle one): planet, star, satellite
5.
True or false (circle one): The Moon generates its own
light.
6.
True or false (circle one): The Earth and the Moon both
have day and night.
7.
The Sun is many times larger than Earth. How many
times? 170 times
8.
Why do we experience day and night on Earth?
We
experience day and night on Earth because the Earth
rotates on its axis. This rotation takes 24 hours and
when we are facing away from the Sun, it is night.
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9.
True or false (circle one): The Moon has air and clouds
just like Earth.
10.
What is moonlight? Explain in complete sentences.
The moon does not have a light source of its own. However, it
appears to light up in our night sky. The reason it does this is
because sunlight reflects off the white/gray dust on the Moon.
This is moonlight.
11.
If the Sun were closer to the Earth, it would appear
SMALLER or LARGER (circle one).
12.
If the Moon were farther away from Earth, would it
appear SMALLER or LARGER? Explain your answer.
If the Moon were farther away from Earth, it would appear
SMALLER. The reason for this is because objects that are
farther away in distance appear smaller and smaller as the
distance between the two objects gets larger.
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13.
True or false (circle one): The Sun is a few times larger
than the Moon. The Sun is MANY times larger than the
Moon.
14.
True or false (circle one): Between the Sun, Earth, and
Moon, the Earth is the only one that has living things.
15.
The reason that the Moon and the Sun appear to be
roughly the same size in our sky (even though the Sun is
so much bigger) is because: the Moon is closer to the
Earth than the Sun.
16.
If we lived on the Moon, would we experience day and
night? _____________ (yes or no)
17.
On Earth, our day/night cycle is 24 hours. This is how
long it takes Earth to ___________ (rotate or revolve)
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on its axis. How long is this day/night cycle on the Moon?
29 ½ days.
18.
True or false (circle one): The Earth’s tilt changes
depending on the phases of the Moon. The Earth’s tilt is
not related at all to the phases of the Moon. The Earth’s
tilt of 23.5 degrees is constant. This tilt varies only
slightly and the variation occurs over thousands of years.
19.
True or false (circle one): Moonlight is heat from the Sun
reflected off of Earth. Moonlight is light from the Sun
that is reflected off of the Moon.
Essential Question #2: How do the Earth, Moon, and Sun move in
relation to each other?
20. The Moon orbits or revolves around the Earth.
21.
22.
The Earth orbits or revolves around the Sun.
We see different parts or phases of the Moon on each
clear night because of where the ______________
(Earth, Moon, or Sun) is in its orbit.
23. How long does it take the Moon to orbit around the
Earth? It takes approximately 27 days. However, it takes
approximately 29.5 days for us to experience the full
moon-to-full
moon
cycle.
The
explanation
difference is beyond the scope of this unit.
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of
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24. The Moon’s orbit around the Earth causes us to observe:
As the Moon orbits around Earth, we see different phases of the
Moon. These phases are diagrammed below. The reason we see
different phases is because of where the Moon is in its orbit
around Earth. When it is the farthest from the Sun, we see a full
moon. When it is closest to the Sun, we see a new moon.
25. What unit of time is associated with the Moon’s orbit
around Earth and is created by the Moon’s phases? The
month
26. True or false (circle one): We see different parts or
phases of the Moon because of the amount of light the
Moon gives off. The Moon does not give off any light.
What we see is a reflection of sunlight off of the Moon’s
dust. The reason we see different parts of the Moon is
because of where the Moon is in its orbit around Earth.
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27. Draw a picture that shows how the Earth, Moon, and Sun
move in relation to each other. Then explain your
diagram. Make sure to use your unit vocabulary in your
explanation!
Unit vocabulary: axis, planet, seasons, moonlight, revolve/orbit,
star, rotate, phases, satellite.
A. The Sun is a medium-sized star. It is made of hot gases. It is
170 times bigger than Earth.
B. The Earth is a planet that revolves or orbits the Sun. It
takes 365 days, or one year, to complete this revolution. The
Earth rotates on an axis. It takes 24 hours to rotate on its
axis and this causes our day and night. This axis is on a 23 ½
degree tilt. This tilt causes the seasons as the Earth
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revolves around the Sun. In this diagram, it is winter in
Michigan, which is in the Northern Hemisphere.
C. The Moon is a satellite that revolves around the Earth. It
takes 29 ½ days to orbit the Earth. This orbit causes the
phases of the Moon. In this diagram, people on Earth would
see of full moon. Moonlight is sunlight reflected off the
moon’s dust.
Essential Question #3: What causes the seasons?
28. Why do we experience different seasons on Earth?
Explain using complete sentences.
We experience different seasons on Earth because the Earth has
a 23 ½ degree tilt on its axis. As the Earth revolves around the
Sun, different hemispheres experience different amounts of
direct light. When it is summer in the Northern hemisphere, the
Earth is tilted TOWARD the Sun and receives the most direct
sunlight. When it is winter in the Northern hemisphere, the Earth
is tilted AWAY from the Sun and receives the least amount of
direct sunlight.
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29. Label the following diagram with the correct season for
Michigan:
30. The tilt of the Earth and its revolution around the Sun
causes us to experience seasons. List the seasons in
order that they occur beginning with winter:
 winter
 spring
 summer
 fall
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31.
Draw a picture of each season, beginning with winter. Be
sure to label each season.
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
32. In what hemisphere is Michigan? Northern
33. In the summer in Michigan, we have longer days and
shorter nights. Why is this? Explain in full sentences.
In the summer in Michigan, we have longer days because of where
the Earth is in its revolution around the Sun. When we are tilted
toward the Sun, we have more direct sunlight and longer days.
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Name: ______________________________
34. In the winter in Michigan, we have shorter days and
longer nights. This is because the Northern Hemisphere,
where Michigan lies, is tilted ______________ (toward
or away from) the Sun.
35. When it is fall in Michigan, it is _______________
(winter, spring, summer, or fall) in Australia.
36. When it is summer in Michigan, the Earth is tilted
______________ (toward or away from) the Sun.
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